On this day: January 17

2011: Music publisher, promoter and producer Don Kirshner, known as "The Man With the Golden Ear" for his success with bands such as The Monkees, Kansas and The Archies, dies of heart failure at the age of 76 in Boca Raton, Florida. Kirshner was also influential in starting off the careers of singers and songwriters, including Bobby Darin, Neil Diamond and Carole King. In April 14, 2012, he was posthumously inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.